Welcome to Vietnam! So far Vietnam has been on adventure after another. Lets start off at my lay over in Tokyo where I had 3 hours to play with their awesome automated toilets. One press of a button and an electronic badeau pops out and sprays you with warm water for as long as you please. I for one, thought that if it was accompanied by a squirt of soap - it would have been the ultimate experience. Still this is more exciting than the typical US toliet.
--> As I write this (I wrote in my journal first) we are on a 9 hour overnight bus to Hue, Vietnam from Nanh Binh. This bus is nothing like I've ever experienced before. There are no seats in this bus, just reclining beds. Three rows with about 6 or 7 beds per row, with 2 levels...pretty crowded, but surprisingly comfy.
Anyway, so I met Rachel in Hanoi, Vietnam where it took me another hour to get my visa and my backpack and I thought Rachel was going to leave me there. But thankfully she didn't and we were off in a cab to our hostel where I met Brian and Jenny. First day in Hanoi, I was in awe of the culture - work, eat pho, go back to work. Hanoi was crazy busy with people going places on their motorbikes and funny facemasks to keep them warm and I assume to lessen the inhalation of pollution.
We made our way to an island east of Hanoi - Cat Ba Island. Speaking of adventures, just getting out there had to take 2 buses, a boat, and another bus. Mind you the roads are bumpy, windy and loud with constant beeping from everyone to let everyone else know your coming behind them, to the left of them, to the right of them, in front of them, or even above their head!
Finally we make it to Cat Ba where we rented motorbikes and cruised around the island. I went rock climbing for the first time and when I cam down I couldn't stop shaking from the adrenaline rush.
We learned very quickly that there is the "good pho" and the "instant ramen noodle soup pho" and before we eat we now make sure it's the "good pho" with rice noodles.
During our 3 day stay at Cat Ba we checked out a cool hospital cave that they actually used during the war! We went to the national park and hiked up a hill with a beautiful view and clean crisp air. It was super high but totally worth it! Rachel and I ventured out to "Monkey Island" where there were supposed to be endangered monkeys but we didn't see any :(. It was a 2 hour boat ride but it was worth it to see the cool rock formations that we passed on the way there and back.
After Cat Ba Island we went to Ninh Binh and checked out some cool caves on a 2 hour boat trip where we ended up rowing 2/3's of the time in and out of caves, which was sooo beautiful! We also climbed up a LOT of stairs to the top of a pagoda with another beautiful view. Even though the weather is far from paradise...cloudy, misty, low 50s, Vietnam is definitely beautiful.
-->It's 6am on this bus and we are "almost" at Nue - and the adventures continue....
--> As I write this (I wrote in my journal first) we are on a 9 hour overnight bus to Hue, Vietnam from Nanh Binh. This bus is nothing like I've ever experienced before. There are no seats in this bus, just reclining beds. Three rows with about 6 or 7 beds per row, with 2 levels...pretty crowded, but surprisingly comfy.
Anyway, so I met Rachel in Hanoi, Vietnam where it took me another hour to get my visa and my backpack and I thought Rachel was going to leave me there. But thankfully she didn't and we were off in a cab to our hostel where I met Brian and Jenny. First day in Hanoi, I was in awe of the culture - work, eat pho, go back to work. Hanoi was crazy busy with people going places on their motorbikes and funny facemasks to keep them warm and I assume to lessen the inhalation of pollution.
We made our way to an island east of Hanoi - Cat Ba Island. Speaking of adventures, just getting out there had to take 2 buses, a boat, and another bus. Mind you the roads are bumpy, windy and loud with constant beeping from everyone to let everyone else know your coming behind them, to the left of them, to the right of them, in front of them, or even above their head!
Finally we make it to Cat Ba where we rented motorbikes and cruised around the island. I went rock climbing for the first time and when I cam down I couldn't stop shaking from the adrenaline rush.
We learned very quickly that there is the "good pho" and the "instant ramen noodle soup pho" and before we eat we now make sure it's the "good pho" with rice noodles.
During our 3 day stay at Cat Ba we checked out a cool hospital cave that they actually used during the war! We went to the national park and hiked up a hill with a beautiful view and clean crisp air. It was super high but totally worth it! Rachel and I ventured out to "Monkey Island" where there were supposed to be endangered monkeys but we didn't see any :(. It was a 2 hour boat ride but it was worth it to see the cool rock formations that we passed on the way there and back.
After Cat Ba Island we went to Ninh Binh and checked out some cool caves on a 2 hour boat trip where we ended up rowing 2/3's of the time in and out of caves, which was sooo beautiful! We also climbed up a LOT of stairs to the top of a pagoda with another beautiful view. Even though the weather is far from paradise...cloudy, misty, low 50s, Vietnam is definitely beautiful.
-->It's 6am on this bus and we are "almost" at Nue - and the adventures continue....
Hi Anna!!!!!! Miss ya! glad you're having a good time. Post more pictures!
ReplyDeleteHi Flora!!!! thanks for commenting!!! I try to post and update at least a couple times a week. Check out the new pics and some videos!
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